NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Wrapping up the 2012 regular season, the Lipscomb baseball team makes its shortest trip of the year this week for a key Atlantic Sun Conference series at rival Belmont beginning on Thursday night at E.S. Rose Park at 5 p.m.

The Bisons (25-27, 14-10 A-Sun) enter the “Battle of the Boulevard” series tied for third in the A-Sun standings along with the Bruins (32-21, 14-10 A-Sun). Lipscomb needs either one win or a loss by either Florida Gulf Coast or Mercer to clinch a berth in the A-Sun Tournament hosted next week by Stetson in DeLand, Fla.

Lipscomb heads into the final weekend two and a half games out of first trailing USC Upstate and one game out of second place behind Stetson.

Senior righty Connor Sinclair (6-3, 2.95 ERA) will get the start on Thursday night for the Bisons as Lipscomb looks to improve to 8-4 in series openers. Sinclair will go head-to-head with Belmont’s Chase Brookshire (6-3, 2.43 ERA). The Bisons have not determined starters for the final two games of the series.

The Bruins will send righty Matt Hamann (3-5, 4.34 ERA) to the mound on Friday night before southpaw James Buckelew (6-1, 2.34 ERA) makes the start on Saturday for Belmont.

Belmont holds the lowest overall ERA in the A-Sun with a 3.28 team mark but the Bisons have outdueled the Bruins with a league-best 3.17 ERA in league play. The two teams also sit atop the league defensive standing with Belmont holding the slimmest .979-.978 advantage in fielding percentage.

Neither team holds an advantage in the all-time series as each team has 15 wins.

Admission is free for all three games at E.S.Rose Park. Belmont will also carry all three contests live online on ASunTV.

Belmont has suggested parking in either the lots off of Edgehill Avenue on either side of Easley Community Center or the lot behind Carter Lawrence Elementary. The Bruins recommend that you not park in the lot off of 12th Avenue and remind you to lock your car and do not leave any valuables in sight.